2of2Third baseman Matt Dominguez gained valuable experience late in 2012 and used it as a springboard to a regular job this season.Photo: Karen Warren, Staff

Several Septembers have come and gone since the Astros mattered in the league standings, and this one isn't going to be any different.

What does matter, however, is the degree to which the team's young players can improve and build confidence for the 2014 season, year three in the Jim Crane/Jeff Luhnow reconstruction plan for the Astros.

The youngsters have examples to follow. Third baseman Matt Dominguez arrived in the Carlos Lee trade last year and played in 22 games last September, hitting .280 to establish his bid to be a starter in a season that has thus far produced 19 home runs and 66 RBIs.

Catcher Jason Castro counts last September as the foundation of his long recovery from injury that resulted in his selection to the 2013 All-Star Game. First baseman Brett Wallace got in 25 games last September to help his development, and even pitcher Lucas Harrell, who has struggled this season, looks to the two starts he got in September 2011 as setting up his 11-11 campaign in 2012.

The standings may look the same - with Monday's 10-6 loss to the Twins, the Astros are 45-92, compared to 41-93 on Sept. 2, 2012 - but Castro sees better days on the horizon.

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Baseball's land of opportunity

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Roster status of the players on the Astros' current active roster and disabled list a year ago on Sept. 2, 2012:

"Guys can build strong foundations in September," Castro said. "You can see guys doing it now. (Outfielder) Robbie Grossman is one that jumps out at me. You start building confidence that you belong here and are capable of doing what it takes to stick around. And that puts you in a better spot for coming in confident next year.

"Dominguez has taken advantage. He had a lot of playing time last September, and you could see him making adjustments and moving forward. I missed a lot of July last year with knee troubles, so getting consistent playing time late last year really boosted my confidence."

Emphasis on winning

Last year was something of a mad scramble for the Astros in September as interim manager Tony DeFrancesco, who replaced Brad Mills for the last 41 games, pulled every string and made every move possible to win games in an effort to get the job for 2013.

"I got a chance to play every day in September last year, and that worked its way into spring training, and it gave me confidence that I was a favorite to start at third," Dominguez said. "I don't know that I'm in this position if I didn't have a solid September."

The manager's job eventually went to Bo Porter, but the 2012 Astros went 15-15 in September and October. DeFrancesco was sent to the Astros' Class AAA team in Oklahoma City, where players like George Springer and Jonathan Singleton have helped boost the Redhawks to the Pacific Coast League playoffs and represent, to some, the Astros' best future hope.

At the moment, though, with the Redhawks staying intact in pursuit of a PCL title, Porter is focused on day-to-day evaluations that could help determine who has a shot to emulate Dominguez and Castro among this season's Astros.

"Our players understand they're being evaluated every day," Porter said. "If you have veterans, they have established track records, so you can predict what you believe will happen. But even with that, you're still evaluating the thought process to see if it holds up.

"With younger guys, they don't have that track record. So these guys understand the opportunity that is in front of them, that we're going to give them a chance to show us whether or not they factor into our plans next year."

Former Astros manager Larry Dierker, an adviser to club president Reid Ryan, said September offers young players a crunch-time challenge that differs considerably from spring training.

"The kids have been playing all summer, and they're playing major leaguers who have been playing all summer," he said. "The games mean something. The managers are managing to win. It's a real baseball situation, and you know they're ready, which might not happen in March."

For players like outfielder Trevor Crowe, who rejoined the Astros this week after missing most of the year with a shoulder injury, it's one more chance to win a job for next year.

"It can be that one at-bat that somebody sees or that one start that changes a team's minds and gives you a longer look," he said. "And all of a sudden, you have a role with a team."

For players like Harrell, September is another chance to salvage a disappointing season.

"There are a lot of things that haven't gone my way," he said. "But I'm hoping to work hard this month, and maybe the ball will bounce my way."

It didn't Monday, when Harrell was part of the bullpen collapse resulting in the loss to the Twins, moving the Astros one step closer to a third consecutive 100-loss season.

Hope for improvement

But days like Sunday, when lefthander Brett Oberholtzer threw a four-hit shutout, and a glance at the minor league standings, with four Astros farm clubs in the playoffs, enable the organization to feel confident in subscribing to the old election-year question of whether they're better off now than they were a year ago in September.

"It's a very different place," Castro said. "The fact we've just had two guys called up speaks volumes about where the minor league organizations are headed and the talent there. To have that support on the way is a great feeling. It's definitely an exciting time."

David Barron reports on sports media, college football and Olympic sports for the Houston Chronicle. He joined the Houston Chronicle in 1990 after stints at the Dallas bureau of United Press International (1984-90), the Waco Tribune-Herald (1978-84) and the Tyler Morning Telegraph (1975-78). He has been a contributor to Dave Campbell's Texas Football since 1980, serving as high school editor from 1984 through 2000 and as Managing Editor from 1990 through 2004. A native of Tyler, he is a graduate of John Tyler High School, Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Austin.

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